


Closer to You

by marytalouise



Series: Asexual Ereri [3]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Implied Relationships, M/M, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-22
Updated: 2013-10-22
Packaged: 2017-12-30 05:05:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1014437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marytalouise/pseuds/marytalouise
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Levi is sent off on a mission and hides the severity of it from Eren.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Closer to You

Levi was just finishing one of his cleaning sessions as Hanji walked into the room.

"Ah, Levi, just the man I wanted to see. Do you have a minute to talk? Erwin wants to see you."

Levi glanced around the room, surveying it with a scrutinizing gaze. "I suppose so. Give me a few minutes to put away the cleaning supplies and tell him I'll be in his office in a few minutes."

"Roger!" Hanji grinned, turning on her heal and leaving the room.

While Levi was putting away the cleaning equipment, he wondered idly what Eren was doing. Was he training with the newer recuits, or maybe he'd gotten some free time and was just lounging around?

Wondering little things like that used annoy Levi to no end, especially when he and Eren had first started dating. He'd think, _Why do I have to worry about that stupid brat? I've got enough on my plate without thinking about him._

Now, though, Levi found it oddly relaxing to wonder about what his younger partner was doing. He even caught himself chuckling every once in a while, imagining something klutzy that Eren would definitely do, depending on his duties for the day. Not to mention that they hadn't seen a lot of each other lately due to Eren's busier-than-normal schedule.

Levi closed the door to the now spotless room and made his way to Commander Erwin's office slowly. He wasn't particularly interested in what the commander had to say; no doubt it'd be some bothersome questions like, "how are the new recruits holding up," "is Eren's condition well," or something of that sort. All questions that the commander could find out on his own if he bothered taking the time to do so.

A sigh escaped Levi's lips as he knocked on the commander's door and opened it after hearing a muted "come in."

Erwin sat at his desk, eyes alert and wary. Suddenly Levi doubted the probability of it being as simple a meeting as he first thought.

~

Later that night, Eren and Levi finally got to spend some alone time together. They sat on the couch in their room, Eren nestled comfortably against Levi and reading a book in the evening light. Dinner was an hour away, but both had finished their duties early and were enjoying the downtime.

Suddenly Levi's voice broke the comfortable silence. "Let's rearrange the room," he murmured.

Eren glanced up, surprised. "Sure, but dinner will be soon...?"

Levi waved the argument away. "I'll get stuff from the kitchen especially for us once we're finished. I just want this room rearranged."

Eren smiled gently. "If that's what you want."

They spent the next hour and a half working together to get the room changed, but Eren was shocked when he heard what Levi wanted to do with the beds.

"Pull them close together? But why?"

Levi glared. "The why doesn't really matter, right? We aren't sharing one bed, it'll just be close together so it's fine, right?"

Eren stared back, wondering what had gotten into Levi but he did as Levi had requested.

In the end, only a few inches separated their beds with pathways on the outer sides of the bed to walk through. Eren was still skeptical of the closeness, but decided not to push it any further.

Over dinner, Levi revealed that he had a small mission to take care of and would be gone for three days.

"It's nothing major, but it's a direct order from Erwin so I have to go."

Eren pouted slightly. "Ahh, just when we were going to be able to spend some time together."

Levi smiled a small smile. "Yeah, I know it's annoying but hopefully we can find something to do when I get back."

"I suppose so," Eren muttered.

They finished the rest of their meal in an easy silence and when they were finally done, Eren was exhausted.

"I'm sorry, Levi. I know you're leaving tomorrow, but I'm really tired. Dealing with the recruits is kind of a pain, I don't know how you've managed to do it for so long," he muttered.

Levi nodded in understanding. "It's okay, I'll go to sleep now too. I have to get up early to head out."

They both readied themselves for bed and Eren finished first, climbing onto the soft mattress and sighing with relief. Levi crawled into his own bed and turned to face Eren.

"Hey, Eren," Levi whispered.

"Hmm?" Eren hummed sleepily.

"I love you."

Levi could practically hear the blush in Eren's voice as he choked out a shy "I love you, too."

Levi chuckled quietly and ordered Eren to hold out his hand. Eren complied and when Levi grabbed a hold of it tightly with his own hand, Levi could feel Eren's pulse speed up.

"W-what are you doing, Corporal?" Levi almost smiled; every time Eren got nervous, he resorted to using formal speech.

"Nothing, now go to bed."

Levi thought he heard a mumbled "how can I" but minutes later Eren's even breathing filled the room and lulled Levi himself to sleep.

~

When Eren awoke the next morning, Levi's bed was empty and perfectly made up.

It was a Saturday, one of the few days most people had off to do their own thing, and Eren decided to skip breakfast and sleep in, but he found himself too wound up to fall back asleep.

After getting dressed and grabbing one of the leftover rolls, Eren wondered into one of the spare rooms where most people spent their free time. Jean and Armin where there, but Mikasa was oddly absent. He walked over to join Jean and Armin, and Eren got Armin's attention.

"Where's Mikasa?" he asked.

Armin looked at him strangely. "She didn't tell you? She got called out for a small mission. She'll be gone for three days."

Eren remained silent, thinking it over. _Why would they bring Mikasa along?_ he mused quietly.

Throughout the day, he noticed other elite soldiers missing and he began to get a sinking feeling in his stomach.

If it was such a small mission where nothing major was supposed to happen, why would all of the elite soldiers be required? Couldn't they have brought one or two along with a trusted team of fairly good soldiers? Having all of the best in one group was rare, due to the risk they could run into trouble and be wiped out, but if the risk of them not being together was greater...

Eren was beginning to panic and he ran to the one person he know would tell him the truth - Hanji Zoe.

He knocked on her door urgently, and didn't even wait for the call to come in.

Hanji was sitting at her desk, papers from her experiments lying down in front of her. One of her subordinates stood off to the side reviewing them. As Hanji looked up and saw Eren's face, she ordered the subordinate out of the room.

"Where is Levi and the other elite soldiers?" Eren asked in a dangerously quiet voice.

Hanji sighed. "You noticed a lot faster than I thought you would." She smiled gently, sensing that now was not the time to be her normally annoying self. "Erwin got a direct order from higher-ups to go to a place near the wall where an abnormally large group of titans have been spotted lately. They wanted only the best soldiers for the mission. You have to understand, that none of them had any choice, not really. They had to do this, right Eren?"

Eren groaned, frustrated. "I understand _that_ but what I don't understand is why Levi had to downplay the seriousness of the mission."

"He probably didn't want you to worry too much about him, you know?" Hanji murmured.

Eren glared. "Well it's had the opposite effect. If he'd just told me straight from the beginning I would have been prepared for it at least..."

The rest of the weekend passed in a worry-filled haze, at least for Eren and when he heard that group of soldiers had been spotted, Eren hurried to the stables where the soldiers would head first to put away their horses.

Everyone greeted Eren as they put their horses away but even Mikasa recognized that Eren was in no mood for talking and after giving him a small hug left to go find Armin. Levi was the last to arrive, and when he saw Eren's face he seemed to freeze for a fraction of a second before slowly putting his horse in the stable and taking of its saddle. If Eren didn't know better, he might say Levi was stalling.

Finally Levi was finished and he stepped in front of Eren, sighing. "Fine, let's hear it," he muttered.

"Why wouldn't you just tell me?" Eren ground out through clenched teeth. He didn't really want to fight with Levi; he was glad Levi had made it home safely but his emotions left in the form of anger.

"I didn't want you to-"

"Well I ended up worrying more, you idiot!" Eren interrupted. "When you hide it, doesn't that make me think it's just going to be more dangerous?"

Eren went to grab Levi's arm when he noticed a bandage wrapped around his hand, and the anger left him as suddenly as it had come.

"What happened to your hand?" he asked quietly, gently.

Levi looked away at the worried light shining in Eren's eyes. "Nothing, it's just a scratch but I didn't want it to get infected..." Levi's voice trailed off as he felt a soft pressure on his hand. As he looked down, he saw Eren gently placing his lips over the bandage.

To hide his embarrassment, he growled at Eren. "Don't kiss that, it's dirty, you stupid brat."

Eren just shrugged and held Levi's hand to his cheek. "I don't mind it..."

They walked back to the castle to eat quickly then get to their room. Levi was exhausted, and it showed.

When they got to their room, Levi turned to Eren, cheeks slightly pink which was the most Eren had ever seen of his embarrassed or nervous side.

"Eren, I want to try something tonight, okay?"

Eren tilted his head to the side in confusion. "Okay, what?"

"Just push the beds all the way together and then when you're ready for bed lay down. I'm going to take a shower."

Eren was still confused and more than a little flustered, but he did as Levi told him.

~

When Levi returned, he was slightly peeved to see that Eren had already fallen asleep, but the beds had been pushed together. Levi's heart was hammering in his chest, he wasn't sure if he was ready to share a bed even though a small voice in the back of his mind pointed out, _you're not even sharing a bed, he's still on 'his side' and you've got a bed to yourself even though they're joined._

This was a big step for Levi, and even more the shitty brat had fallen asleep before Levi could have a proper talk to him about it.

He climbed into bed and although he thought he'd be too nervous to sleep, as soon as his head touched the pillow he was pulled into a deep sleep.

The next morning, Eren awoke with a sleeping Levi curled beside him. Eren wasn't holding him, but it seemed as though Levi had unconciously huddled closer to Eren for his warmth; Eren knew how much Levi hated feeling cold.

Eren controlled any sexual reaction he might have had, and was extremely proud of himself for it. Instead of getting up and getting ready for the day, he watched Levi's sleeping face and smiled to himself.

He knew how big of a step this must have been for Levi, and Eren felt that they might have gotten just a little bit closer.

**Author's Note:**

> Ugh, I just love this dynamic so much and I always get fuzzy feels with writing it and I just hope all of you enjoy reading it as much I enjoy writing it.
> 
> Until the next one-shot!~
> 
> (Also, as always I would love feedback whether on tumblr [bakageta-ai] or through the comments. Bye-bye for real now!)


End file.
